The ancient domain, known as Fonfrède since 1185, came into the storied family in 1791 when Monsieur André Méjan purchases it as his country estate outside of Montpellier.

The last privilege of our class

is to be able to be familiar with the humble folk without

losing any of the entitlements of our status.

-MarieAméliedeFrance-Mandoul

A marriage between the two families results in the Maison de Vin Bazille & Leenhardt. For two centuries the domaine is a center of local wine production.

1805

Collection Fonfrège

1810

THE TEXTILE ENTREPRENEUR

Pierre Nicholas Leenhardt (1786 – 1870)

The domaine is the setting for yet another enterprise when Pierre Nicolas Leenhardt launches a textile mill on the river Lez, which flows through the estate. His father, André Chrétien Leenhardt (1744-1813), was commercial director at the famous Wesserling Textile Mill in Alsace.

THE DAWN OF A FAMILY TEXTILE EMPIRE

LE MOULIN DE SAURET

The mill is the first of several textile production companies run by the Leenhardt families.

1820

THE HEIRESS

Eugenie Castelnau (1796–1853)

André Méjan’s niece, Eugenie Castelnau, inherits Fonfrège and she and her husband, Pierre Nicholas Leenhardt build Fonfroide-le-Bas, the first of several family manor houses that rose up around the estate.

1847

THE TEXTILE INDUSTRIALIST

Victor Henri Leenhardt (1822 – 1871)

After marrying Sophie Imer (1823–1902), Henri decides to continue the family business of his father, Pierre Nicholas, and joins the Imer’s textile enterprise in Marseille, which then becomes Imer Frères et Leenhardt.

THE LEENHARDT NAME BECOMES SYNONYMOUS WITH TEXTILE DESIGN AND INNOVATION

1865

Art Institute of Chicago

Musée d’Orsay

Art is creative for the sake of realization, not for amusement; for transfiguration, not for the sake of play. It is the quest of our Self that drives us along the eternal and never ending journey we must all make.

FRédéric Bazille

THE PRODIGY

Frédéric Bazille (1841 – 1870)

Frederic Bazille is the most celebrated of all of the artists in the family, but he had relatively little time to earn his laurels before dying tragically in a war battle at the age of 29.

During his relatively brief career, he becomes an important leader in the tight circle of Paris Impressionists. In 9 rue de la Condamine (1870), we see Bazille in his studio with friends Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Emile Zola, Eduard Manet, and Claude Monet.

1871

Collection Gartner

An Iconic Chateau is Born

Henri Leenhardt builds Fonfroide-le-Haut, the massive Gothic Revival chateau that for the next 200 years, is the social center for Languedoc’s most important families.

1875

THE SCIENTIST Franz Leenhardt (1846–1922)

Scientist and theologian Franz Leenhardt dedicates much of his life to bridging the divide between theology and science. He makes extensive studies of prehistoric life throughout the Mediterranean, and notably charts the paleontological history of the famous Mont Ventoux near Montpellier.

Émile Littré, 1878

GOD VS SCIENCE

In the 1870’s he challenges Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, which has reached France and caused a massive stir.

LE vélocipède

Franz Leenhardt constructs one of France's first bicycles (known as a Velocipede) which he rides around Montpellier, his long, black cape flying up behind him.

THE ARTIST Max Leenhardt (1853 – 1941)

Michel “Max” Leenhardt doesn’t achieve quite fame and recognition of his relative, Frédéric Bazille, but he remains influential for generations of impressionists and modernists that follow him. His plein air style of painting eventually leads to deeply religious work, reflecting his turn to God after the tragic death of his wife.

LE TRAIN BLEU

In Paris, Max is one of a dozen artists invited to create spectacular murals for the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon. The restaurant is now an official city landmark.

1902

THE ANTHROPOLOGIST Maurice Leenhardt (1878 – 1954)

Anthropologist Maurice Leenhardt pioneers the concept of interactive ethnography at a time when most scholars remained removed from their subjects.

In 1902, he sails to Oceania to study the art and culture of the Kanak tribe. The little known and feared island tribe (they were cannibals) is on the verge of extinction. Leenhardt dedicates the rest of his life trying to save them.

Author, actor, and documentary filmmaker RogerLeenhardt sees the future of cinema and coins the phrase, La Nouvelle Vague. Along with Jean Cocteau and Luc Besson, he is instrumental in developing a new style of cinema, championing the likes of François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, and Jacques Demy. His critical writings about film inspire André Bazin to launch the seminal magazine, Cahiers du Cinétma, for which Leenhardt frequently writes.

2013

A HERITAGE RETURNS

Bertrand Pellegrin, sixth generation descendant of the Leenhardt family, is compelled to carry on the story of domaine Fonfrège and together with partner Brian Valmonte, they begin developing a line of fine leather goods inspired by the remarkable people who lived on the estate. They establish Fonfrège SAS.

2016

A BRAND IS BORN

Fonfrege.com is launched and the Westphal bag is the brand’s first best-seller.

With gratitude to Monsieur Jean Gartner (1922–2014) who, with passion and precision, researched the genealogy of this remarkable family.